Scientia Marina, Vol 71, No 1 (2007)

Abstract

The striped goby, Gobius vittatus Vinciguerra, 1883 is a Mediterranean gobiid species considered to be rare and lacking in data on its reproduction. Sex ratio, length and age at first maturity, annual cycle of gonad development, spawning period and fecundity of G. vittatus were studied on 704 specimens collected by SCUBA diving in the northern Adriatic Sea (Kvarner area) from April 2001 to March 2002. The monthly sex ratio did not differ significantly, except during the spawning season, when it was strongly biased in favour of females. The estimated length at first maturity was 32.8 and 35.4 mm for females and males, respectively. In both sexes gonad development started in the first year of life. All specimens were mature by the third year. The spawning season was from April to July. Total fecundity ranged from 560 to 3045, with an average of 1426 ± 89 ripe eggs/fish. The simultaneous presence of three clearly distinct sizes of oocytes in ripe ovaries indicate that this species is a multiple spawner.